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Mr Adams said he saw four lights over about 10 minutes and early today, Shakespeare St man Robert Caldana saw a light through his laundry window about 2.20am.

It was towards the sea in the direction of South Beach.

His wife Linda also witnessed the event saying it was different from satellites and shooting stars, changing colour, and apparently hovering. Her husband saw it red, but when she looked it was green and blue.

She called it a UFO, but said today she did not mean it was a Martian - just an unexplained object.

"I was not frightened, it was 'wow'.''

A third woman, Conna Katie Cameron, posted on a public Facebook page that she saw a UFO on the coast road near Charleson and Fox River about 1am on Wednesday.

Someone suggested it was a police Iroquois helicopter doing an annual drug sweep, but she said she did not hear any engine noise.

Sergeant Russell Glue, who ran the operation, confirmed today the Iroquois was not in the air after dark.

It has also been suggested the lights were reflections from squid boats bouncing off the clouds, but the Caldanas said this did not match what they saw. Squid boats use bright lights to attract the squid.

Hokitika airport also confirmed today it was not aware of any night flights.